title: Lung transplantation for obstructive lung diseases.
abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents one of the most common indications for lung transplantation, accounting for approximately one third of all procedures performed worldwide to date. Despite this extensive experience, questions remain about the appropriate timing of transplantation in the natural history of COPD, the optimal procedure to perform, and the survival benefit achieved. Less commonly encountered obstructive lung disorders for which transplantation is occasionally performed include emphysema due to α-1-antitrypsin deficiency, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, and Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Like COPD, the application of transplantation to these rare disorders also poses several questions. This article explores issues that arise when lung transplantation is utilized for treatment of both common and uncommon obstructive lung disorders.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Rupal J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kotloff
mesh_terms: D004646:Emphysema / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006646:Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D018192:Lymphangioleiomyomatosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D019896:alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery